Introducing our All New Foscam HD 2 app

Foscam HD 2 (formerly known as Foscam Surveillance 2)is the successor of Foscam Surveillance, the best-selling camera app for Foscam.
It's the only app you need for controlling your Foscam cameras. Wether you want to protect your business or
home, keep an extra eye on you elderly mother or don't want to miss
a single second of your new-born baby: this is the app you need.

Highlights

Full HD stream

Shows the full HD streams of the cameras (in contrast to those other apps that show a scaled downed, low framerate image)

Today screen support

Only available in PRO version

Add up to two cameras for a quick glance from your Today screen!

Pan/tilt

Panning means moving the camera horizontally, tilting means moving the camera vertically.
Some models support moving in 4 directions, other models support moving in 8 directions.
The app supports both and lets you control the camera easily.

iPad support

Only available in PRO version

Not just scaled up, but full iPad support and controls can be adapted for both right- and left-handed users.

Motion detection

When motion is detected the app will notify you. Motion detection can be fully configured from within the app and can be quickly turned on or off.
Additionally it is possible to use the input/output features of your camera to connect a door switch or external siren.

Sound detection

When sound is detected the app will notify you. Sound detection can be fully configured from within the app and can be quickly turned on or off.
Additionally it is possible to use the input/output features of your camera to connect a door switch or external siren.
Please note that sound detection is only available on Foscam cameras that support it.

Two-way audio

The app supports full two-way audio support for Foscam MJPEG cameras, meaning you can hear the audio recorded by the camera's microphone, but also you can talk back. If your camera is equipped both with a microphone and speaker that is. Please note that two-way audio is not supported for all models and that the audio quality can differ between camera models.

Connection monitoring

When the connection drops for whatever reason the app will try to reconnect at regular intervals

Find cameras in the network

Easily find cameras in the network and configure them.

Patrol

Patrolling is moving the camera automatically at a specified interval, horizontally or vertically or both.
In the app patrolling can be fully configured to follow certain patterns and quickly be enabled or disabled. Most Foscam MJPEG pan/tilt cameras support this.

Presets

Presets are pre-defined camera positions. Most Foscam MJPEG and H264 pan/tilt cameras support this, but remember that it has to be enabled on the camera first! Using the app you can manage preset position and move to them with a push of the button.

Optical zoom and focus

Some cameras are equipped with an optical zoom lens. You can control the zoom and/or focus from the app. Additionally, even when your camera is not equipped with an optical zoom lens, you can use pinch to zoom digitally to view the image in full resolution and even beyond.

Mosaic with 2, 4 or 6 cameras

Lite version is limited to 2 cameras

In the mosaic view you have the ability to view up to 4 (portrait) or 6 (landscape) live video streams simultaneously.
Swipe up or down to view more cameras.

Secure HTTPS

HTTPS support for Foscam HD camera models that support it.

All features

Please understand that currently it is not possible to upgrade from LITE to PRO. We are working on that. When in doubt, go PRO!

LITE

PRO

Unlimited number of cameras can be added

No

Yes

2 cameras can be added, to add another one has to be deleted first

Shows the full HD streams of the cameras

Yes

Yes

In contrast to those other apps that show a scaled downed, low framerate image

Added support for Foscam FI9900P/EP cameras, note that the aspect ratio for the default stream is not optimal yet. Use a 1080p stream for optimal quality. Known issue: enabling motion detection from app doesn't work yet.

Fixed presets working erratically after moving the (MJPEG) camera. WE THINK THIS ALSO FIXES the problem some users reported, where MJPEG cameras stopped responding and needed a reboot!

Improved stability and stream fluency for Foscam HD cameras

Fixed connection problems some users where experiencing with Foscam HD cameras like the C1

Fixed a crash when more than 9 camera presets where available on MJPEG cameras

Added: Showing warning when trying to find cameras when not connected to a local network

KNOWN ISSUE: Don't enable or disable motion detection in the app for Foscam FI9900P/EP cameras as it can reset your schedule. We have a fix ready in the next update!

Changes in version 2.21:

(this release is skipped, changes have moved to the next version)

Changes in version 2.20:

This is the initial version of our new Foscam camera app

Upcoming updates

Changes in version 2.36:

Planned: iOS 10 support

Planned: audio from iPhone to camera

Planned: P2P support

Rating

Version 1 of the app is used by tens of thousands of users and reviewed by many
of them, giving an average of 4.5 stars! We aim for 5 stars for this version. A 5-star rating after
each update is very much appreciated! Reviews attract new users and that allows us to keep updates free of charge.

About Foscam

ShenZhen Foscam Intelligent Technology Ltd. (www.foscam.com) is a manufacturer
of IP network cameras for home and business use. They offer good
quality products for an affordable price. We, the makers of the app,
are not related to Foscam in any way. We independently developed
this app especially for their products. As we have much experience
with their products we can confirm that they offer a good
quality-price ratio.

If you are looking to buy a Foscam camera, please check one of the
links below:

New features

Full iPad support (not by just sizing up the screen) in a 'universal binary', meaning: pay only once for both iPhone and iPad apps

Better image quality on iPhone 6/6+/6S/6S+: in version 1 the screen was just scaled to fit

The number of supported camera models has been increased dramatically, see Camera Models. The Foscam C1 camera model is now for example supported.

Today screen support: up to two cameras can be added to the Today screen

Sound detection for MJPEG cameras that support it

In-app notification on alarm (motion detection etc)

Improved alarm control: easily configurable from the app

Zones have been added: You can add cameras to a zone and switch easily between zones

Duo view has been added: besides four or six cameras, you can show two camera simultaneously

Improved navigation: You can always swipe to another camera or quickly select a zone or specific camera

Improved digital zoom: Tapping twice on the camera image zooms into that particular part of the image

HTTPS support for camera models that support it, or when you are using a HTTPS proxy

Improved performance: Memory management has been completely optimized and streaming performance has been improved

Mail server setup added for HD cameras (available in version 2.24 and higher)

TLS/STARTLS support for Foscam MJPEG and HD cameras (available in version 2.24 and higher)

What is still missing?

No matter how hard we have worked the last 18 months, the app is still lacking some features that were present in version 1.
We want to add all those features as soon as possible,
but also have a lot of ideas for new features that we want to add.
We need your help to ensure that we are working on the right stuff!

Feature added: support for FI9820W, FI8620, FI8608W and FI8602 is available from version 2.23 and up!

Feature added: mail server setup for both (MJPEG and HD cameras) will be available in 2.24 and up!

Why we developed version 2

Software ages over time. And it doesn't always age nice. In our version 1 app
we have made choices in the past that worked against us when adding new features.
It made it difficult to add new features without compromising stability.

Also, we wanted to support the iPad, and not just by scaling up the screen.

So we started from scratch (while reusing existing parts), with a new software architecture, an improved software
development process and new ideas, which are all incorporated in the new app. The software
architecture allows us to easily add new camera models and features continuously, and that's exactly what we are going to do!

Supported Camera Models

Foscam Cameras

Below is a list of supported camera models with the features that are supported in the app. The table below is scrollable both horizontally and vertically.

Please note that not all features are
supported for all camera models and no rights can be derived from this list: we try to keep this matrix as accurate as we can. The list below is scrollable. Show the feature matrix on one page.

Note, sound detection is also available on MJPEG camera models that support it (this is checked run-time, the matrix above doesn't reflect this correctly)

Chinese Foscam Models

Fostar is a sister company of Foscam that provides camera models to resellers. We try to support these models too.

Please note, these models are only available in the PRO version.

Fostar Cameras

Fostar is a sister company of Foscam that provides camera models to resellers. We try to support these models too.

Please note, these models are only available in the PRO version.

Amcrest Cameras

There is limited support for Amcrest cameras. This could not be completely tested by us, is experimental and comes with no waranty.

Please note, these models are only available in the PRO version.

And any other Foscam Compatible MJPEG Camera ...

There are a lot of other compatible cameras that are compatible
with Foscam MJPEG cameras and those can be used too. Check the FAQ on how to
check if a camera is compatible with the app. Add them in the app as Foscam compatible cameras.

Please note, this feature is only available in the PRO version.

And any other MJPEG/JPEG IP camera ...

Apart from the Foscam compatible cameras above, you can add any MJPEG or JPEG
compatible IP camera as long as it provides an HTTP URL with a MJPEG
stream or JPEG snapshot. You'll need to do some research to find out the exact url.
Also note that no controls are available for
those cameras.

Please note, this feature is only available in the PRO version.

And almost any other H264 camera ...

Even H264 cameras other than Foscam can be added as long as it provides an RTSP stream URL.
You'll need to do some research to find out the exact url and some tweaking in the camera's
settings may be needed. Also note that no controls are available for those cameras.

Please note, this feature is only available in the PRO version.

iOS Device Requirements

To use Foscam HD 2 on an iOS device you'll need one of these Apple iOS devices running iOS 8.0 or later:

iPhone 6s/6s+

iPhone 6/6+

iPhone 5S

iPhone 5C

iPhone 5

iPhone 4S*

iPod 5th generation*

iPad Pro

iPad Air 2

iPad Air*

iPad 4

iPad 3

iPad 2*

iPad Mini 3

iPad Mini 2

iPad Mini*

Or later

For devices with an iOS version below 8.0, please check out our beloved Foscam Surveillance Pro 1To use the Today screen extension you need a device with at least iOS version 8.1
Devices marked with an asterisk (*) have limited memory, streaming multiple high resolution streams simultaneously can cause the app to quit due to memory constraints

Minimum Network Requirements

For basic app usage you'll need:

A wireless router configured in your network (or a wired router with a separate wireless access point or a wireless cable/ADSL modem)

Basic network knowledge and analytical skills for setting up and configuring the camera(s)

Your cameras already connected and configured on your network either wired or wirelessly

A local network bandwidth of at least 100 Mbps

An internet bandwidth of at least 1 Mbps up and down (when connecting from outside your local network)

You'll be able to access the camera(s) when both the iPhone or iPad and camera(s) are connected to the same network

Please note that besides enough bandwidth you'll need to have a continous working network connection. Please check the video below:

Recommended Network Requirements

A UPnP or NAT-capable wireless router with UPnP or port-forwarding configured

Or a VPN-capable wireless router (instead of UPnP or NAT port-forwarding)

A fast 3G or 4G connection on your iOS device *

Then you'll be able to access the camera(s) from outside your local network.

* For H264 streams a bandwidth (between camera and iOS device) of at least 1 MBit is recommended. This means the bandwidth from the camera to router, from router to internet and from internet to the iOS device.

Tutorials

Installation

Setting up

To set up your camera, please refer to the manual that came with the camera and set up the camera using the supplied software and/or the web-interface of the camera.
In the app add the camera by entering the ip address and port number and the user account you use to log onto the cameras web interface.

To access your from outside of your local network, please see Outside access and securing below.
If you have problems setting up your camera, please check the document below:

Using the app

Swipe for more controls

On an iPhone, when holding it in a portrait orientation and when viewing a single camera controls appear in the bottom of the screen. Swiping from left to right or right to left uncovers more pages with controls.

On an iPad, when holding it in a landscape orientation and when viewing a single camera controls appear at the left or right of the screen. Swiping from up to down or down to up uncovers more pages with controls.
Rotate the iPad 180 degrees to display the controls at the other side of the screen.

Maximize for less clutter

Tap the maximize icon to show one or more cameras without clutter. On an iPhone held in landscape orientation, and on an iPad, overlayed pan/tilt controls are available (for cameras that support pan/tilt that is).

Pinch to zoom

The video image can be zoomed in and out by using the pinch gesture. When zoomed in, the image can be panned or double tapped to view to fit. When not zoomed in double tap to view the image in the original resolution.

Video tutorials

Tutorials are all 1 minute or less.

Adding a camera

Deleting a camera or zone

Detection and mail server settings

Showing cameras on Today screen

Detecting bad wifi

Outside access and securing

To access your camera or cameras from outside of your local network you'll need to do make some changes on your router or set up a VPN network.

Access from outside of your network: UPnP or NAT port-forwarding

When you want to access your camera from outside of your local network, you'll need to enable UPnP on both your router and camera(s) or setup NAT port-forwarding on your router.
Some basic understanding of computer networks is required.

Foscam.us has a video tutorial available for seting up port-forwarding:

Access from outside of your network: VPN

A more secure and flexible way to access your cameras from outside of your local network is to use VPN. When your router or other device in your network (for example NAS server) supports VPN, you
will be able to access your cameras everywhere, like you were on you where on your local network! This means there is no need to provide a different IP address for your camera when on the way.
And as an extra benefit all the communication is encrypted!

There are different protocols for VPN to choose from: OpenVPN, IPSec, PPTP and L2TP. The latter three are supported by iOS natively. For OpenVPN you'll need to install the free OpenVPN on your iOS device.
We currently haven't a tutorial ready for setting up a VPN network, but there are plenty of tutorials to be found on the internet.

We recommend a VPN network connection for accessing your cameras from outside of your network

The major consumer NAS brands support VPN, as wel as some consumer routers. For some routers custom firmware is available (for example DD-WRT or Tomato) to support VPN.

Secure access

Most Foscam HD cameras offer secure access through HTTPS. Important note: even when accessing the camera through HTTPS the video stream will be streamed unencrypted!!

To enable HTTPS, you can easily select HTTPS in the camera settings and set the port number to 443

Frequently Asked Questions

Please read this FAQ when you run into problems or when you have
questions. Your question probably is already answered! Please
understand that we cannot give individual support for setting up
your camera or assist you with diagnosing connectivity issues.

Some terminology used in this FAQ:

Camera - A supported Foscam camera

Home network - The local area network (LAN) the camera is
connected to (could be your home, or business network)

Router - the device in your home network that offers
internet access, usually connected to your cable modem or ADSL
modem see Wiki

A: The app is specially tailored for Foscam MJPEG and HD (H264) cameras, but there are a lot of Foscam compatible cameras around (mainly MJPEG). Furthermore it's possible to add any IP camera that provides an MJPEG
or RTSP stream or JPEG image url. Please check out this camera list for an overview.

A: Please refer the manual that came with your camera and first set it up without the app (to verify it's working correctly). We are not the manufacturer but the app's developers. However, we do provide tutorials for setting up your camera, please check out the quick start section.

If you're experiencing technical difficulties, please head to our support section.

Please understand that we cannot give individual support for setting up your camera or assist you with diagnosing connectivity issues

A: This is not related to the app, if you try the Foscam web interface you will see the same image. The colors differ from in real-life because of the fact that the Foscam cameras by design don't have an IR-filter. This allows the cameras to work in complete darkness too (night vision).

A: This answer applies mostly to MJPEG cameras, but may apply to HD cameras too. As quoted from here:

The information in Foscam's manual concerning the external I/O Alarm contacts on the rear of the FOSCAM FI8908W IP-Camera, is wrong. The correct information is:

Foscam FI8908W I/O Alarm Pins 1 and 2 are controlled by a ZANTY Z12-5 reed relay. If you click on the chain icon in the operator device control, the normally open contacts of pins 1 and 2 will close until you click on the break-chain icon. If ÒI/O Linkage on AlarmÓ is set, Pins 1&2 will close upon a short of pins 3&4, and remain closed until reset by click on the break-chain icon.

The current limits for the ZANTY Z12-5 dry reed relay connected between I/O Alarm pins 1 & 2 are a Maximum current of 1A/24VDC, 500mA/125VAC (24W), resistive. Use appropriate protection R/C circuits with inductive or capacitive loads.

Six still photos are attached to the 'EXTERN ALARM' email regardless of closure time, although a short of pins 3&4 of at least .5 second is required to trigger an alarm.

You are logging in with a Visitor account, instead of an Operator or Admin. See your camera's web interface to verify this. Vistors cannot move the camera. Operators and Admins can.

There is too little bandwidth, which causes all bandwidth to be 'eaten' by the videostream, leaving no bandwidth for controlling the cameras. Try wifi instead of 3G. See if setting the camera to the lower resolution or framerate (in the web interface of the camera) solves the problem. I have seen cases where MJPEG cameras were using an unsupported resolution or framerate. Switching a few times between 320x240 and 640x480 solved the problem.

A: On every major iOS version change there is a slight possibility that the app get corrupted resulting in crashes or hangups. Please try to reset the configuration from the iOS Settings / Foscam 2 screen.

As a last resort, remove the app and reinstall it through the App Store (you're not being charged twice)

A: It shouldn't and please accept our sincerey apologies, we take crashes very seriously. If it crashes, the next time you start the app you are being presented with the opportunity to send a crash report to us.
Please do so and we try to find and fix the problem in the next update!

If the app keeps crashing when starting the app, it could be that the configuration has been corrupted. To resolve, follow these steps:

Go to iOS Settings / Foscam 2

Set the Reset to defaults switch to On

Start the app and follow the instructions

If this doesn't resolve the problem either, please remove the app and re-install it through the App Store. You are not being charged twice.

If it stops unexpectedly without a notification, this could be related to the fact that your device is running out of memory. We are very keen on making the memory footprint of our app as small as possible,
but video streaming and decoding still needs quite a lot of memory.

When you run into the app quiting without a notification, try the steps below:

Free memory by closing apps on your iOS device (hold down the home button and refer to the iOS user guide)

Reboot the iOS device

Select a lower resolution stream The HD streams are meant to be used on local networks. If you are experiencing problems, try selecting the Mobile stream. As a last resort you can use the Image snapshots stream.

We have focussed on the Foscam MJPEG and newer Foscam HD cameras as most of our users have one or more of these. The FI8608W/FI8620/FI9820W/FI8602 models are
based on a different platform and currently we do not support them. Yet. If there is enough demand we will add them to the app.

A: The behaviour of the HD stream can be different than you are used to:

Connecting can take a while

Audio and video will be delayed a few seconds

The video is easier affected by network conditions

The video will use dramatically more network bandwidth

Furthermore we found that the cameras are not always stable, sometimes resulting in a repeating loss of connection. Rebooting the camera should help.
Please understand that these issues are caused by the nature of the stream and the camera, but we give you the best experience as possible. And we are always looking for ways to improve that experience!

A: Yes there is a delay of up to a few seconds. Unfortunately, this behaviour is in the camera stream the manufacturer offers. This delay is less noticeable in the web interface because the manufacturer uses a different stream for that.

A:This often occurs when using a WiFi connection which is experiencing interference. Even when an app like OOKLA Speedtest reports a good bandwidth, the connection can still be intermittent as is explained in the video clip below

A: Yes connecting to a H264 stream can take a while, depending on network conditions. This behaviour is in the nature of the camera stream the manufacturer offers. Having more bandwidth can mitigate this problem.

A: Please note that these camera models are using a different protocol than the newer line of H264 cameras and only basic features are supported in our app. Therefore not all entries in this section of the FAQ may apply.

The HD and sub streams are H264 streams. These are of a higher definition and higher quality than the normal MJPEG stream. This demands more from the network (it requires a higher bandwidth) and your iOS device (it requires a faster processor to decode the stream). It means connection problems are visible sooner than you are used from MJPEG cameras.

But let's see what you can do about:

Select a different stream. The HD streams are meant to be used on local networks. If you are experiencing problems, try selecting the Mobile stream. As a last resort you can use the Image snapshots stream.

Check if you have one of the recommended iOS devices. See the iOS device requirements. In our tests we experienced problems with olider iOS devices in lower bandwidth situations. We recommend and iPhone 4S or newer, or and iPad 2 or newer.

Be sure there are no other clients connected.The hardware of the camera is limiting the number of clients that can be connected. To get a fluid stream, be sure no other clients are connected.

While we do not recommend it, you can also change the stream settings on the camera.You can try to lower the framerate and resolution of the video stream in de camera's web interface. See this FAQ entry.

We do not recommend to change the video stream settings on the camera, we recommend to use the default settings. Reset your camera to manufactury defaults to restore the default settings. For the power users please see below to change the video stream settings. Please don't contact support about this!

Please open the web interface of the camera, log in and go to Video -> Video Settings. Select Stream Type 0 (or 1, 2, 3) to edit the settings for the 'Main' stream. You can now change the resolution, bit rate, frame rate and key frame interval of the camera.

Please note this should be something for the manufacturers FAQ, but anyway. If you don't see these options, nor the tabs LiveVideo, Settings and Playback then the plugin hasn't been installed. Please do so.

A: For performance reasons, the mosaic stream uses image snapshots and in the other views is default shows the HD video stream. It is possible the camera is in a state where it cannot stream the HD-stream (the hardware is quite a limiting factor). Try to reboot the camera.

A: We have found that some Foscam HD cameras exhibit the behavior described below when the infrared leds are on (switched to 'On' or to 'Auto' when it's dark):

Connecting to the camera for the first time is quick and without problems

Swiping to another camera, wait for 2 seconds, swiping back to the original camera will cause the camera to reconnect

This can take considerably longer and the image screen can even be black for quite a while

This only occurs when the camera's infrared lights are on

This problem is amplified during bad network conditions

This problem is caused by the camera itself, not by our app. We have reproduced this problem using VLC player.
We suspect the infrared lights electronics interfere with the network electronics within the camera

The problem has been reported to Foscam

To mitigate this problem:

Switch infrared off from the app

Reconnect the camera

Switch infrared on again

Also check your network connection, use cable instead wifi if possible or try another wifi channel

Also try to use a lower resolution or lower framerate stream (Camera Settings / Change Stream)

A: Foscam changed the port for the media stream in those cameras. Before, the port was the same as the web port (88) but in later revisions of their HD cameras they changed the stream port to 554.
When using port-forwaring, be sure to forward both port 88 and port 554 on your router. Also be sure to specify the correct ports in the app.

A: There are a lot of Foscam clones - by some people called 'fakes' - that can work or cannot work with the app.
The easiest way to determine is to test it before you buy the app. On your home network, open your favorite browser and type in the URL bar:

If you add a Foscam MJPEG camera multiple times, and you add presets to one of the cameras, you will see that the presets are not updated on the other camera.

Reason is that the presets are not stored on the camera itself. This is a limitation by the camera itself. We could improve this behavior when there is enough demand.
Please consider submitting a featurerequest

A: We have found that the sound quality can different greatly between camera models and even camera of the same model.
Furthermore we are still improving the quality of two-way audio because we found it to perform less optimal on some device + camera combinations.

From time to time we still receive reports of some FI8910W and FI8918W users, that report better sound quality in other apps.
We have planned to mitigate this problem in one of the next updates.

We also plan to offer the 'asf' stream for an alternative way of providing better quality audio.

Missing a feature?

There are a lot of features on our backlog and ideas we have. Please use the poll below to give your vote and follow the development on Twitter. Please return to this page as the poll is updated from time to time.

We have an active forum where users help other users. Feel free to ask your question there.

If it's still too technical challenging for you, please understand that we cannot give individual support for setting up your camera or assist you with diagnosing connectivity issues. But maybe you could ask the neighbour kid to help you assist?

Step 4: Beta program

Thank you very much for helping us with improving the app.

Please DON'T sign up if:
you are running in a production environment (it is not possible
to run both the App Store version and a beta version on the same
device), or
you are depending on the app for security or safety, or
you can't live a day without the app, or
you can't stand crashing apps, or
you don't have time to reply on questions from me, or
you want to impress your friends, or
it affects your relationship with your social environment in a
negative way.

Please DO sign up when:
you do have time to test my app, and
you do have time to give feedback, and
you like the latest and greatest but unstable features.

If you still want to become a beta tester, please apply by sending a
mail to betaapplication@foscamapp.com
and mention all the iOS devices you have. Please note there is only
room for a limited number of beta users.